Pipe line milking system



March 22, 1960 R. E. STEVENS PIPE LINE MILKING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Shem. 1

Filed Oct. 15, 1956 IN V EN TOR:

E. STEVENS Row/And BY p 7 March 22, 1960 Filed Oct. 15, 1956 R. E. STEVENS 2,929,354

PIPE LINE MILKING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Row/And E STEVENS Attonmay PIPELINE MILKING? SYSTEM! Rowland E. Stevens, Sheri-ill, N.Y., assignorto Coude Milking Machine Company, Inc., Sheri-ill, N.Y;, a cor poration of New York Application October 15, 1956, Serial No.- 615,826.

5 Claims; or; 119-1454 The present invention: relates to a novel: and: improved claw for milking machines, and in particular toa clawwhich aids the movement of the milk from. the" claw through a conduit to' theultimate receptacle.

It has-been reported, that in the past, byusing pipelinemilkers, the: resulting rancidityof the milk in the lines presented a grave problem. The main problem liesfwith pipeline milkers using vertical sections of: pipe in the line' and located at a higher elevation than that. of: the cows udders. The milk, enroute fromithe udder: through the claw, frequently bounces in thevertical tube", or in the vertical risers before being carried along the" liori zontal line. As a result, the excessive agitationiofzth'e warm, raw milk stimulated enzymatic action that caused fatto become rancid. As can be readily understood,j,this is: a very unfavorable condition. It ha'SZ'be'e'n a problem to move the milk from the claw to theultimatereceptaeleby a machine milker without disturbing'theefliciency of the milking procedure. 7

The normal displacement resulting from the collapse of the inflationsis not sufiicient to move the milk from the milk clawthrough a tube to an elevated pipe, or receptacle. Attempts have been made to solve this problem by admitting air or atmospheric pressure into the claw in order to increase the pressure on the milk-and move it more rapidly through the connecting tube to the elevated pipeline or receptacle. Such methods succeeded. in movingthe milk through theconnectingtu'be, but at the same timelimpaired the: efiici'ency of the milking machine for the reason that it admitted-1 air to the claw at the milking stage oflthe milking machine cycle which unduly reduced the vacuum exerted on the cows teat and disturbed the normal milkin'genvironment milk. claw used in. pipeline. milkers that will reducethe agitation of the milk from the milk claw up into: the

States Fatent pipeline and provide a smoother.- fl'owofmilk, thus preventing the possibility of rancidity occurring throughout the pipeline, including vertical tubes, or risers:

Another object ofthe. present invention is'the' provision of a milk claw that may be used with a. pulsator, as in the L. T. Conde,. Patent No. 2,675,821,v which. permits normal milking regardless of the height ofthe vertical pipeline with respect to the udders.

Still another object of this novel milk claw isto provide a means for forcing the milk smoothly and. evenly into the pipelines without backtracking andflooding up into the teat cups. The teats are thus kept drier, and no abnormal pressure is exerted inside the inflation members.

Another advantage of this milk claw is its construction which enables one to control the amount of air" pressure admitted into the milk by'means' of an opening located therein which may be varied in size, as desired.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the air is admitted at the exact time that the inflation member is squeezed, hence there is no interference with the actual milking stage of the milking cycle,

ice

Still. another object of? this invention: is. to provide: a milkclaw' that. will not interfere inthe normal: vacuum: produced in the teat cupsduring the-milking cycle, thus maintaining the normal vacuum at all. times, which: is-

very desirable. Due to its construction, this novelmilk claw may be easily connected to the teat cups, pulsator and. pipelines;

may be easily cleaned after. the milking. procedure;-,.and is automatically operated by the acti'onzoff the connected pulsator controlling the differential pressures appliedto the teat cups.

Other valuable objects and advantages will: become ntore apparent" from the: following description and arrangement ofparts. of one embodiment o'f'the present invention.

In accordance with the present invention, a; milkiclawis provided having a milk outlet, tubular'air'hose receiving adapters, tubes to facilitate the connection ofth'e teat cups to the milk. claw, and a piston regulating thead'm'ission of air into the milk claw, and forcing the milk out into. the: pipeline by means of atmospheric pressure which is regulated. by the action of the" pulsator. connected to the milk claw by suitable means.

During the milking cycle, when the infiationmember is squeezed against the teat by the presenceof atmosphericpre'ssurebetween the metal shell and the inflation mem" ber, thatis when no vacuum exists, the: air pressure-forces the'pistonlocated in the milkclaw into the open osition; thusa'll'owing the entrance of air into the chamber of the milk? claw containing the milk received from thet'eat; The milk located in the 1 claw chamber i's thus? forced: up; into the elevated pipeline by means: of the'a'd'ditional atmosphericpressure admitted to' the milk claw: This isdueto the fact'that, the piston being closed and milk flowing into and through the pipeline,- a partial'vacuum iscreated in the chamber. Thus, when the piston is opened, additional atmospheric pressure is appliedin the chamber, forcing milk therein into the pipeli'n'e;

Through the action of the pulsator connected to the milk' claw, a vacuum is produced, the vacuum be'lng' of a: lower pressure than that of the atmosphere; thus lifting the pistonwhich closes the entrance of air into the milk claw; So it is seen, that when thepulsator" createsa vacuum, the cow is milking; the piston isheld up in a closed position letting no air into the milk claw' and at the same time preventing any milk from rte-entering: the teat cups from the milk claw.

Asia result, during the normal cycle of milking procedure, through thealternate application of vacuum by means of the pulsator and the'milk claw, and throughith'e corresponding riseand fall of the piston. with respect rto the atmospheric pressure, the milk located therein is forced out into the pipeline when the-cow is not milked. This even regulation of forcing the milk from the claw, out into the pipeline, prevents any opportunity'for errzymatic action causing fat to become rancid; and prevents the milk, retained in the milk claw When not being forced out into the pipeline, from flowing back into the teat cups. 7

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional viewillust'rating the operative parts and structure of one embodiment of this invention, taken on line 1-1' in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of themilki claw illustrating the exterior position of the milk. outlet, pulsator inlet, milk tube nipples, air tubes and the bottom cover Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a milk claw which is designated as a whole by the reference character 1. The milk claw 1 embodies in its construction a substantially cylindrical body 7 forming a chamber 6, the lower end of which may be plugged .by a suitable cover 2, as best seen in Figure 1. Extending outward from the body 7 of the milk claw 1 is a milk outlet 29 connecting the chamber 6 with the pipeline 32 by suitable means, such as a milk hose 31, as illustrated in Figure 3. If desired, the milk outlet 29 may be connected to a milk pail 35, or any other receptacle used for receiving milk This pail 35 can be any conventional dairy pail having for instance a cover 37 and a milk tube connection 36 adapted to receive hose 31.

The body 7 is also provided with four upwardly and outwardly extending milk receiving tubes 23. The upper ends of the tubes 23 may be beveled as indicated in the drawings, to facilitate the closing of the tubes 23.

The upper portion of the milk claw 1, designated as a whole by the reference character 44 is provided with four air tubes 22. These air tubes 22 connect to the teat cups 3 by means of air hoses 5 through the upper chamber 41 of the upper portion 40 and through the air inlet 30 by suitable means, such as a tube 42, to a pulsator 8.

The upper portion 40 of the milk claw 1 also includes a vertically disposed piston valve 26, air passage 25, atmospheric pressure inlet passage 28, piston seat 27, a suitable rubber ring 2 and a lid adapted to fit securely over the upper portion 40 encircled and sealed by the rubber ring gasket 21. The air inlet connected to the pulsator 8 delivers alternating vacuum and atmospheric pressure as a result of the action of the pulsator 8 and relays this pressure through the chamber 41, into the passage 25. The atmospheric air inlet passage 28 allows the air toenter into the chamber 6 containing the milk. In order to explain in detail the operation of this piston 26 with regard to the milk claw 1, it is necessary to understand that the pulsator 8, by means of regulated air pressure and vacuum, causes the squeezing of the inflation members (not shown) located in the teat cups 3.

4 outlet 29 through a suitable hose 31 into a pipeline 32. When a vacuum is created by the action of the pulsator 8, and the cow is in the milking state, the milk passes from the inflation members in the teat cups 3 through suitable hoses 4, through the milk inlets 23 and into the chamber 6 which maintains a normal vacuum at all times, which in turn is very desirable. The operation of this milk claw 1 does not effect the normal milking, regardless of the length and height of the milk tube within the operating limits of the machine. This milk claw 1 does not interfere with the normal vacuum in the teat cups 3 during the milking cycle, and also stops the agitation of the milk in the tubes. This normal vacuum maintained in the chamber 6 isdue to the fact that as milk is constantly flowing from the chamber 6 into the pipeline 32, a partial vacuum is caused constantly within the chamber due to space being exhausted of any liquid therein. This vacuum is partially reduced each time that the piston opens the opening 11 to atmospheric pressure. As the atmospheric pressure enters the chamber, the additional pressure allows milk to flow into the pipeline. This partially exhausts the chamber, and, as the piston closes the opening 11, a vacuum is again created within the chamber. Thus it may be seen that by changing or varying the size of either or both of openings 11 or 28, the amount of air in the milk may be controlled.

" pulsator means, teat cup means and milk-collection In the instant that the pulsator 8 admits air pressure to act upon the inflation member of the teat cups 3, that is, when air enters the air inlet 30 and passes through the chamber 41, into the air tubes 22 connected to the teat cups 3 by suitable air hoses 5, to act upon the inflation member, this same air pressure passes from chamber 41 through the air passage 25 to act upon the piston 26, forcing the piston 26 to rest upon the valve shoulder or valve seat 27. With this action, the piston 26 is. lowered, so that the lower end 24 (sufficiently larger than the opening 11 of the atmospheric air inlet passage 28) allows the air from the outside to enter the chamber 6 containing milk, through the atmospheric passage 28. Thus, the milk in the chamber 6 is forced through the milk passage 29 into the pipeline 32 through a suitable hose 31. It is to be understood that the cow is not delivering milk at this time.

When, through the operation of the pulsator 8, a vacuum is created in the teat cups 3, thus allowing the milk to leave the udders, a vacuum is likewise created through the passage 25. Because of the difference in I the surface area between the head 33, operative in chamber 34, and head 24 operating in chamber 6, the vacuum raises the piston 26 from the valve shoulder 27 sufiicieut- 1y so that the end portion 24, or head 24, of the piston 26 closes the opening 11 which comprises a valve seat,

means comprising a body including a milk chamber having an outlet for connection to said milk-collection means, ,milk-receiving means communicating with said milk chamber for, connection to said teat cup means, a second chamber on said body including an inlet for connection tosaid pulsator means, conduit means commu nicating. with said secondchamber for connection to said teat cup meansto communicate the variable pressure of said pulsator to said teat cup means, atmospheric pressure inlet passage, means communicating with said milk chamber, and avalve in said body comprising a first valve portionv in communication with and subject to pressures in said second chamber, a second valve portion invc'ommunication with and subject to pressures in said milk, chamber, said atmospheric pressure inlet passage means communicating with said milk chamber between said valvepontions, said second valve portion being interposed in valve relation between said atmospheric pressure inlet passage means and said milk chamber and operable" with said first valve portion to alternately permitt communication between said atmospheric pressure inlet passagemeans and said milk chamber in relation to alternating pressure in said second chamber from said pulsator, said first valve portion including a greater eifec- 'tive area than said second valve portion. 1

thus closing the atmospheric passage 28. As a result, I

no air from the outside enters the chamber 6 of the milk claw 1, when the teat givesoif milk.

So it is seen, that through the construction of the milkclaw 1, when the teats are not giving out milk,

by means of additional atmospheric pressure, the milk located in the milk claw 1, is forced out through the 2. The structure of claim 1 including a third chamher on said body in communication with said second "chamber. i v 3. The structure of claim 1 in which said body includes an elongated bore extending between said milk and chambers, said atmospheric pressure inlet passage means communicates intermediately of said bore, said valve portions being located at opposite ends of said bore.

4. The s'tructure of claim 3 including opposed valve seats at Opposite: ends of said bore, said valve comprises an elongated piston extending longitudinallyof said b'ore,

said piston including valve heads on opposite ends thereof respectively engageable with said valve seats.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which one valve head has a greater efiective cross-sectional area than said other valve head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 784,780 Burrell Mar. 4, 1905 Thomas Sept. 16, 1952 Harstick Nov. 16, 1954 Schilling Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Mar. 11, 1930 Austria Mar. 25, 1955 

